


Gonna Laugh Until We Cry (As We Talk and Reminisce)

by ShowMeAHero



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Epic Bromance, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Humor, M/M, Marauders, Marauders era, Valentine's Day, because it's Valentine's Day damnit, because they're going to join the Order of the Phoenix after Hogwarts, but let's pretend that everything is happy and nobody's gonna die, for Annie, for Valentine's Day, my precious starflower, technically set in the canon universe, the epic bromance that is the Marauders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 07:58:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1183828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The seventh-years are allowed the day off on Valentine's Day, so what better way is there to spend a free Tuesday than stealing food from the kitchens and almost burning down the school?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gonna Laugh Until We Cry (As We Talk and Reminisce)

“Can you stop playing that so loudly?” Sirius complained, throwing a balled-up chocolate wrapper at James from his bed. James swung his head to the side forlornly, his arm flopping over the side of his bed, his hair falling into his eyes.

“My heart is in Hertfordshire,” James sighed theatrically, “so I have no heart with which to care about you.”

Sirius rolled his eyes and picked up his wand. “ _Engorgio_ ,” Sirius said simply, pointing his wand at James’ pillow and laughing when it grew so quickly that James flailed and fell to the floor. Peter clapped his hands in delight, but Remus just sighed and lifted his own wand.

“ _Reducio_ ,” Remus countered, and the pillow shrunk back down to its normal size. He sat on the edge of his bed and eyed Sirius. “Do you have to bother him?”

“I’d honestly rather be in class than listening to James spew disgusting nonsense about Evans,” Sirius declared. Peter laughed again, and Sirius threw a grin at him.

“I’d rather be in class, too,” James agreed, dragging himself back up onto his bed. “It’d give me a distraction.”

“Why do we have today off, anyways?” Peter asked, examining a chocolate frog with particular interest.

“Seventh year privilege,” Remus informed him. “Seventh years get all sorts of privileges, such as being allowed to skip classes to be with your significant others on Valentine’s Day, and getting to talk to the house elves about-”

“Save us the lesson, please, Moony,” Sirius interrupted. Remus scowled at him, but his expression quickly shifted into suspicion when Sirius popped up with excitement. “Prongs, you’re Head Boy. Can we go down to the kitchens?”

“I-”

“Ace,” Sirius exclaimed, sliding out of bed. “Let’s go, c’mon, then.”

“Sirius, it is _Valentine’s Day_ ,” Remus reminded him, clearly exasperated. Sirius furrowed his brow at him before lifting his wand and tracing a circle in the air.

“ _Orchideous_ ,” Sirius said, and a bouquet of flowers appeared at the end of his wand. He slid it off and handed it to Remus. Remus tried to remain annoyed, but smiled at Sirius in the end regardless, though he _did_ murmur “That is _not_ what I meant.” Sirius grinned cheekily back and motioned for James, as Peter had already hopped out of bed to stand beside Sirius.

“We may as well just go,” Remus said to James. He lifted a tall glass from his bedside table and stuck the tip of his wand inside. “ _Aguamenti_ ,” he said, and the glass filled with water. He put the bouquet inside and set it back on the bedside table.

“It’s afternoon, Prongs,” Sirius said. “There’s nobody around except seventh-years snogging each other or crying into Yorkshire pudding. Let’s go.” When James hesitated, Sirius sighed and leaned over to shove at him. “C’mon. It’ll take your mind off of Evans.” James lifted his head, and Sirius smiled triumphantly. “Get your scarf.”

James slid out of bed and joined his friends in pulling on cloaks and scarves until they were sufficiently bundled for the Scottish winter outside. Sirius led the way, slinging an arm across Remus’ shoulders as he dragged them all downstairs. The Fat Lady eyed them as they hopped through the portrait hole and left Gryffindor Tower, but she chose not to make any comment to them. Sirius assumed she knew them well enough at this point to know not to bother.

“What do you even want to do in the kitchens?” Remus asked, and Sirius just tugged him closer. James laughed when Sirius threw his other arm around him.

“We are going to get baked and bake,” Sirius said, and Remus scowled at him.

“We are not going to get high in the kitchens, Sirius,” Remus hissed at him, eyeing a suit of armor that appeared to be listening to them. Sirius rolled his eyes.

“ _Fine_ ,” Sirius said, drawing the word out in irritation. Peter leaned hopefully closer to them, grinning. “We’re still going to bake, though. It’s Valentine’s Day. A lad should be with his mates on a day like this.”

“I thought a lad should be with his lady on a day like this?” Peter asked, and Sirius shook his head vigorously. James spit out a mouthful of Sirius’ long, dark hair.

“Remember, Wormtail, a lad should _always_ be with his mates. _Always_. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, even bloody St. Andrew’s Day.” Sirius dropped his arms from Remus and James to sidle up next to Peter and lean against him. “The four of us - we’re each other’s Valentines.”

“What about Lily?” Peter asked, and James tugged his cloak tighter.

“Yes, what _about_ Lily?” James repeated childishly, and Sirius strode ahead of them, leading them out into the cold blur of white snow outside. He turned around so he was walking backwards and facing his friends, and he spread his arms wide.

“Lily is with her parents at home for a long weekend,” Sirius reminded them. “We’re _here_. We’re always here, together. We won’t be for much longer, so start appreciate these moments, my friends.”

“Oh, that’s rather sad, isn’t it?” Peter commented mournfully. He pulled his scarf up over his mouth and nose to protect more of his face from the snow, and so muffled his words. “We are almost done here. And then we’ll go off to get jobs, and live our lives-”

“We’ll join the Order,” Remus said quietly, and Peter fell silent. Sirius clapped his hands together.

“We can’t join the Order until we’re done here at Hogwarts, so let’s live our lives while we’ve got ‘em, okay?” Sirius exclaimed. He halted, and James nearly bumped into him. Sirius reached into James’ robes, ignoring his indignant exclamation at being manhandled, and pulled out the Marauder’s Map. “Let’s make sure there’s no one lingering around the kitchens, since we so cleverly left James’ cloak in our room.”

The four of them gathered around the map, their backs to the wind and snow, protecting the parchment from the elements as Sirius tapped it with his wand and murmured, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” The map presented itself to them, darkening with ink and details. Sirius grinned. “I maintain that this is possibly our greatest achievement.”

“You are just a whiz with the Homonculous Charm, Moony,” James complimented, and Remus smiled smugly down at the map.

“That would be why my name is first,” Remus reminded him, and Sirius barked out a laugh. Peter tugged at an edge of the map, and he and Sirius unfolded it, searching Hogwarts’ grounds until they found the kitchens that lay under the Great Hall. James pointed at one name.

“That Macmillan boy is near the doors, but it looks like he’s just heading to the stairs down to the Hufflepuff Basement,” James said, and Sirius hummed in acknowledgement.

“All in all, looks like we’re clear,” Sirius said, folding up the map again and tapping the tip of his wand against it. “Mischief managed.” The map faded back into blankness, appearing to all the world as though it was just another bit of ratty old parchment. Sirius tucked it into Remus’ pocket and spun on his heel, beginning to lead them to the kitchens once more.

“What are we going to bake, Padfoot?” Peter asked, and Sirius tapped his chin in a show of theatrical consideration.

“Treacle tarts,” Sirius declared, and James made an unholy noise.

“Those are my _favourites_ ,” James expressed emphatically. Remus fought back a grin, though Sirius could see it teasing at his scarred face.

“We know,” Remus said, a long-suffering air about him and his words that James did not seem to notice in his excitement.

“Can we have ice cream with it?” James asked, and Sirius nodded vigorously.

“Oh, yes,” Sirius assured him, and they ducked into the Great Hall, hurrying down the mostly-empty tables. A couple of seventh-years sat here and there, picking at food or snogging each other. They were ignored by the four of them as they rushed past to get to the hall that led to the Hufflepuff Basement and, more importantly, the kitchens. “Ice cream and almonds and lemon zest.”

“This is the best Valentine’s Day we’ve ever had,” James said seriously.

“What about Lily?” Peter asked again. Sirius smacked his chest, but James just laughed.

“Lily _who_?” James joked. “We’re making _treacle tarts_.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sirius exclaimed, hopping down the stairs two or three at a time until they came before the painting of the bowl of fruit. Sirius reached up and tickled the pear, laughed when it squirmed and giggled and transformed into a door handle, and pulled the painting open. “Moony, you get the butter, the vegetable shortening, and the flour. Prongs, you get the golden syrup and the lemon zest and the almonds. Wormtail, you get the bread crumbs and the pastry shell.” Sirius held his wand up in one hand, and put his free hand up in the air. “ _Accio_ tart tin!”

A deep-sided metal dish flew into Sirius’ empty hand, and he grinned. “And you said I never learn anything,” he said teasingly to Remus before he set the tart tin on the counter and held his hand up again. “ _Accio_ bowl!” As if on cue, a mixing bowl flew into his hand, and he set it down beside the tart tin before pointing his wand into it. “ _Aguamenti_ ,” Sirius said, and the bowl filled part-way with water.

“It’ll be a wonder if you never get caught by a Muggle,” Remus murmured, even as he performed the _Accio_ charm to gather his own ingredients and deposit them alongside Sirius’ equipment. James and Peter came over only moments later with armfuls of bags and sacks and dropped them on the counter.

“Prongs, what do we heat the oven to, again?” Peter asked, frowning at the strange oven sitting in the center of the room. Sirius scoffed.

“Wormtail, my friend, we don’t _need_ an oven,” Sirius reminded him. Peter’s brow furrowed as he looked at Sirius.

“Why not?” he asked, and Sirius lifted his wand dramatically. Remus rubbed at his temples.

“ _Incendio_!” Sirius shouted, and a ball of flame burst forward from his wand as it traced an invisible pattern in the air. Remus immediately pulled out his own wand.

“ _Finite Incantatem_!” Remus exclaimed, and the fire disappeared, leaving only Sirius’ red, excited face. “Sirius, you could’ve burned the kitchens down, what were you _thinking_?”

“Remus, I am being resourceful and clever, as you so often beg me to be.” Sirius pocketed his wand and turned to help James make the dough balls. Peter shuffled up next to him to spread out the pastry shell and fit it into the tin. Remus sighed and heated up the golden syrup, using a milder form of the _Incendio_ spell.

“What was that freezing spell again?” James asked, and Remus leaned around him, touching his wand to the dough balls.

“ _Glacius_ ,” Remus said, and the balls immediately chilled. Sirius’ brow furrowed.

“Where’d you learn that one?” Sirius asked, and Remus smiled as he stirred the zest, bread crumbs, and golden syrup together.

“Found it in an old spellbook,” Remus told him, and Sirius grinned at him, his expression opening up with joy.

“That’s _brill_ ,” Sirius said emphatically, and Remus pulled all the ingredients together before tracing his wand through the air and casting a minor, milder _Incendio_ on the tart. It browned in seconds, and only one edge caught aflame, if only briefly before James put it out with a quick mimic of Remus’ _Glacius_.

“Is it done?” James asked excitedly, nearly hopping as he peered over Remus’ shoulder at the dessert. A house elf skittered by, stopped to cock her head at them, then continued hurrying on her way. Peter waved.

“It seems to be,” Remus informed him. Sirius held up a hand.

“ _Accio_ four dessert forks!” Sirius called, and, lo and behold, four dessert forks flew into his hand. The wrong way, of course, but Peter snatched the forks from him before they got any messy and Remus grabbed his wrist, looking at his hand.

“You alright there, mate?” James asked, looking at the puncture wounds that the points of the fork had left in Sirius’ palm. When Sirius nodded, James abandoned him for the tart. Peter looked torn for a moment before he joined James. Remus just held Sirius’ hand up to his face.

“ _Ferula_ ,” Remus said quietly, and bandages were conjured out of thin air. He wrapped them around Sirius’ hand and released him apologetically. “I don’t want to hurt you any worse. I can take you to Madame Pomfrey, if you’d like.”

“After the tart,” Sirius allowed, and Remus agreed, taking his and Sirius’ forks from Peter. He passed Sirius his fork, and they joined James and Peter where they sat on the floor, the tart tin in James’ lap as they ate from it without bothering with slices or plates.

“I almost forgot,” Remus laughed, and he raised one hand up. “What flavor of ice cream, James?”

“Vanilla bean,” James answered around a mouthful of treacle tart. Remus nodded.

“ _Accio_ vanilla bean ice cream carton,” Remus called, and the sound of a freezer door opening and closing came to them seconds before the carton flew into Remus’ hand. He dropped it down into Sirius’ lap beside James, and they tore it open.

“What are we going to do when they notice the ingredients missing?” Peter asked, and Sirius shrugged.

“Tell them we decided to eat away our empty, lonely, Valentine-less souls,” Sirius offered, and Remus laughed into a forkful of ice cream.

“One look at James and they’ll accept that,” Remus joked. James looked affronted and, though his reply was muffled by the tart in his mouth, the hand gestures were enough to get his point across. Sirius ate a bite carefully with his left hand.

“Will you be my Valentines?” Sirius asked, his dramatics exaggerated, and James bumped their shoulders together.

“‘Course we will,” James assured him, and Remus turned a little pink, but he nodded.

“Yeah, ‘course we are,” Remus agreed, and Peter nodded vigorously. Sirius scooped up more of the tart and smeared it on James’ face, then turned and smashed a piece into Remus’ nose. Peter tried to back up, but James trapped him in time for Sirius to shove a fistful of ice cream into his face. Whatever was left of their dessert was quickly all over them, and the four of them were laughing so hard they were breathless.

“You’ve got-” Sirius said, pointing at Remus’ nose. Remus wiped at it with the edge of his sleeve, and Sirius shook his head, still laughing. “Here, I’ll get it,” he offered helpfully, and crawled across James to reach Remus. He licked Remus’ nose, and James shoved him off.

“Not on me, please,” James complained loudly. Remus flushed bright red and stood.

“We should clean up,” Remus said over the sounds of James and Sirius bickering. Peter stood up beside Remus and held up his wand with him. “ _Scourgify_ ,” they said together, and the floor, counter, tins, bowls, and the four of them were clean in seconds. Sirius ruffled his damp hair.

“Well, that ate up some time,” Sirius said, hopping to his feet before offering James a hand to haul him up. “What now?”

“It’s probably still snowing,” James said, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug. “We could always go out in our Animagus forms, have a little fun before dinner.”

“Oh, it is _on_ ,” Sirius laughed, rushing out of the kitchens faster than James could follow, though Peter was hot on his heels. Remus tidied the last of the equipment and followed after James, hurrying to catch up as they hurried out into the February snow.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, Annie!
> 
> The title is taken from the song "Living Louder" by The Cab, which is really just a perfect song for the Marauders, in my professional opinion.
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter at [@nicoIodeon](https://twitter.com/nicoIodeon) or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


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